The Level Six Storm Leggings are a part of Level Six's neoprene swimwear line . I have tested this product out for the past two years in a variety of settings.

Level Six Storm Leggings
Colours: Black, Purple, Dark Teal/Print
Sizes: XS to XL
Price: $95 CDN

Features: 

• 1.2mm neoprene
• High waisted legging
• Raw edge leg opening
• Gusseted crotch
• Elastic waistband
• Reinforced knee area

Pros:

These leggings keep me so warm! The high waisted fit feels great when on and the neoprene is very flexible and comfortable. The reinforced knees have been very durable and I am so happy with their fit, function, and style.

Open water swimming - I use these leggings to open water long distance swim in starting at the end of August and through September. I don't enjoy having my shoulders being restricted so I just wear them over my speedo.  Sometimes a full wetsuit is just overkill! These leggings are the perfect addition to my swimming wardrobe and feel fantastic when swimming.  Your legs stay warm and your shoulders are free!

Paddling- I have worn these leggings in whitewater paddling (both canoeing and kayaking). They are great for keeping legs warm in cold water condition bridging the gap between drysuit season and board short season or vice versa come fall. 

I tend to pack these Storm leggings all summer just in case there is a cold rain or if the temperature is cool for some reason. I have gotten a lot of wear out of them and would like to try out  the other options in the neoprene swimwear line of Level Six. Great product Level Six!

Cons:

The leggings are showing some minor wear areas where the thigh straps of my whitewater canoe have rubbed on the material. This in no way impairs the garment's ability, but cosmetically is showing some wear areas. 

Best Uses: Open water swimming, whitewater canoeing and kayaking, SUPing, etc

The Level Six Ellesmere jacket is a 3 season waterproof-breathable paddling splash jacket for women.  I had the pleasure of testing this jacket out during the spring, summer and fall paddling seasons in 2020. 

Level Six Ellesmere Jacket
Sizes: XS to XL
Colours: Grotto Blue, Beet Red, Violet Indigo
Price: $190 CAD

Features:

• YKK Aqua guard zippers on the quarter-zip neck and arm pocket
• Adjustable neoprene waist
• Adjustable neoprene double cuff wrist system
• Fleece-lined collar and storm flap with laser-cut ventilation holes
• Removable / stowaway hood 
• Hidden safe key pocket
• Exhaust 2.5 UL ply waterproof breathable nylon

Pros:

The first thing you notice when you pick up this jacket is how lightweight it is. Not designed to be a full-on dry top, this splash jacket was designed with lightweight waterproof breathable nylon. 

When you put it on, you can't help but feel the soft fleece lined collar that when fully zipped offers protection over your chin. I didn't think I'd ever have this jacket fully zipped up but on a rainy and windy day in Georgian bay sea kayaking mid-summer it was full zipped. Using this jacket in spring and fall I also have in zipped up fully. 

Once you have the jacket on you need to adjust the two layers of wrist velcro straps. This is an important step when wanting to keep warm and dry. The cuffs fit well over my watch but then I couldn't see my watch on my wrist so I transferred it to attach around my PFD shoulder strap. The neoprene waist velcro straps also needs to be adjusted. This works well over spray skirts or even rainpants (if wearing the coat around camp).  

I prefer to keep the stowaway hood out as I tend to need it when wearing this jacket in rain and windy conditions. The hood offers good coverage from the rain and can be cinched down to stay on in the wind. 

The Exhaust 2.5UL waterproof-breathable fabric is indeed waterproof and breathable. I routinely get wet arms while sea kayaking and this jacket offers great protection from getting soaked, especially in colder water conditions. I have used the jacket in big swells and it has kept me dry each time. The fabric never had me feeling hot or sweaty, and offers great protection from the wind and rain. 

Cons:

The one and only con I have with product is the snap attachment for the hood. The snaps pull off way too easily, making it difficult to re-attach the hood back on after it has detached. This is especially true in the coldwater season and you are wearing the jacket and have gloves on. I found the snaps flimsy when pulling the hood out from under the PFD and in the wind.  Once when wearing the jacket in a motorboat the hood caught wind and only with cat-like reflexes did I save it from being blown off altogether. My recommendation is that this hood be sewn-in or more securely fastened to the jacket so that it becomes more durable in typical paddling conditions.

Best Uses: Recreational flatwater kayaking, sea kayaking, SUPing.

 The Level Six Emperor Drysuit is Level Six's premium drysuit for weathering the toughest tests on water be it whitewater expedition paddling or late season day tripping. I wanted to test out the Emperor drysuit and took it whitewater canoeing and paddling over the course of 2 seasons.

Level Six Emperor Drysuit
Price: $1125 CAD
Sizes: XS to XXL
Colours: Grotto Blue, Bright Yellow/Charcoal, Blaze Red/Charcoal

Features:

​Level Six uses Exhaust 3.0 Waterproof Breathable Nylon and Cordura for it's suit with re-enforced knees, elbows and seat areas. The neck and wrist gaskets are made from British latex, and it sports a double tunnel waistband that can house kayak skirts. There are 2 waterproof zippers: One at the back along the shoulder blades for entering/exiting and another small one near the groin area in the front. The suit has got articulated spine stitching that allows for greater upper body range of motion. Lastly, it's got a fleece lined hand warmer pocket on the chest and waterproof socks sewn into the pants. 

Pros:

Fit- According to the size chart on the website I should using the size small but when I went to try on the suit, I found the XS size fit me the best even at 5'6" tall. This could be that the suit was designed for males originally, and I found the small size to sloppy and long. I can tell using the extra small size that the hip section is not a women's specific design. The shoulder area gives loads of range of motion and I haven't felt restricted in it at all while paddling.

Durability- Hands down the Level Six Emperor Drysuit is the most burly and tough suit I have ever used. The fabric is bomber and durable and I have had no reason to think that this suit won't last for years to come

Waterproofness- After 2 seasons of use paddling, I haven't seen much signs of wear. I make sure to keep the socks part of the suit protected in shoes while paddling and in general take care of my gear. I have had no issues with gaskets or zippers leaking.

Versatility- I love that I can use this suit for all my cold water activities such as canoeing, kayaking, dock removal, and instructing.

Quality product- When you purchase this suit it is obvious that you are getting a quality product that if you treat well will last for many years. Compared to other suits, the material is more durable and bomber than other companies

Cons:

Zipper- Having an entry/exit zipper across the shoulder blades almost ensures that you cannot zip the suit up by yourself. Normally this isn't a problem for me as I always paddle with others but if you were at a put-in by yourself catching up with some friends to park 'n play then I might be a bit peeved I couldn't do up the zipper myself. This also was an issue with Con #2:

Anatomical issues- As a woman trying to use a men's drysuit, I had some difficulties when nature called. The idea of taking off the top half of the suit to pee is not an endeavour I ever want to pursue. But I had too....it was the only way I could pee. For a woman this is entirely frustrating and in no way user friendly.  I started packing my pee funnel that I originally bought for glacier travel as an option to use the small zipper at the front. It took me a few paddling days to bring up the courage to try it  (consequences could be disastrous) until one day I couldn't hold it and so I tried it.  It worked...but was difficult to coordinate through the front zip. Recommendation: Make an Empress suit designed for women with a butt zip!

Best Uses: Cold water paddling, Swift Water/Ice Rescue, Northern Canoe Tripping, Dock removal, etc

Level six's sun protection collection features a variety of tops and bottoms that combine UPF 50+ sun protection with a functional swim or paddling garment. The Sunseeker leggings are part of the sun protection collection and are found in two forms: reversible and regular. I tested out the  reversible leggings over 2 summers while paddling and swimming.

Level Six Sunseeker Leggings and Level Six Reversible Sunseeker Leggings:
Price: $60 CAD
Sizes: XS to XL
Colour: Regular: Navy, Juneberry, Silver Pine and Reversible: Kaleidoscope and Black Ripples

Features: 

The Sunseeker leggings are made of quick-drying 82% Polyamide/18% Elastane material that feels like regular women's bathing suit material. The 24" inseam means that they end halfway down my shin on my 5'6" frame.  The flatlock seams reduce chafing areas which keep the leggings looking new. The UPF 50+ sun protection means you can skip the sunscreen while wearing them!

The Kayoke is an innovative device created to improve the carrying capabilities of kayaks on portages and other uses. It was created by Scott Gill, a paddler who wanted to pick up and take his kayak down the portage trail and not be limited by kayak's traditionally poor carrying capabilities.

I thought this invention would be an interesting way of expanding one's kayaking range so I offered to test it out on my own fleet of kayaks. I tested the Kayoke out on a variety of watercraft including: whitewater kayaks, recreational kayaks, sea kayaks, solo canoes, and sit-on tops throughout the summer of 2019. As a canoe guide for over 25 years, I was also curious to see how it felt to portage a kayak.

Kayoke
Price: $119 CDN
Weight: 2.4lbs
Size Range: 14-21" cockpits
Load tested: 150lbs

Features:

The Kayoke comes with an adjustable molded plastic yoke along with ratchet strap and 2 hex keys.

​The website has a series of helpful 'how-to' videos to help you put the yoke together and how to attach it to your boat. 

Here is how it works:

​Test #1: Recreational Kayaks
Kayak: Perception Sundance
Cockpit width: 19"
Weight: 40lbs
Length: 9'5"
​
After watching the YouTube videos on how to set up and use the kayoke, my first test was on a typical recreational kayak. The Kayoke was easy to slip on over the bow and tighten around the hull of the boat. Portaging this boat using the recommended method in the videos (see photos below) was easy to do. I felt that the Kayoke made portaging this empty boat fairly easy I felt I could definitely portage this boat for awhile. That said, portaging a kayak is more difficult than a canoe as there is no balance point an you have maintain consistent pressure on the bow to pull it down. After using the Kayoke on this boat I would definitely recommend it for recreational kayaks.

Test #2: Whitewater Kayak
Kayak: Pyranha Ammo 
Cockpit width: 19"
Length: 6'9"
Weight: 35lbs

​One of my favourite whitewater kayak runs begins with a 5km portage on a old railbed in Algonquin Park. In past years I have loathed carrying my loaded boat on my shoulder for that length of time and have even resorted to renting boats just so could drag them along this portage. The Kayoke could be the solution to this problem. I set the Kayoke up on my Pyranha Ammo, the boat I would take on this run. The Kayoke fit the wider cockpit without issue and I could pick up the boat and carry it no problem. The only issue I could foresee is maintaining pressure on the bow for that length of time so my solution was to attach a tie-down strap to the bow handle on the kayak and pull it down using one hand while portaging. Unfortunately I wasn't able to try it out before this review was put up but I will update it as soon I do it. I am excited to use the Kayoke with this kayak. I also works on my husband's Pyranha Burn kayak.

Test #3: Sea Kayak
Kayak Tested: Wilderness Systems Tempest 165
Weight: 55lbs
Length: 16'5"
Cockpit width: 18"

I was eager to try the Kayoke out on my sea kayak to see if it would enable me to carry this boat further afield and possible even help me get this boat on the roof racks of my car by myself (something I can't do alone). After adjusting the jaws, I tried to use the recommended sliding method to get the kayoke on the boat. I had trouble getting the Kayoke on this way when the bow was very long and heavy and I needed a second person to help me out. If this was the case again, I figured out I could simply detach the ratchet strap and feed it around my cockpit so I could complete this process alone. Once on, the kayoke was securely in place. With difficultly, I lifted the kayak up and got it on my shoulders and held it just long enough to take the photo below. The kayak was extremely bow heavy and I struggled to keep it up. There would be no way I could portage this boat in this way even when empty as I could barely take one step. I also can't use the Kayoke to help me get it up on my car roof. There was nothing wrong with how the Kayoke attached to this craft it was just impractical and cumbersome to portage this boat on one's shoulders.

​Other watercraft and suggestions:

Solo Canoes:
I tried to fit the Kayoke on my solo whitewater canoe (an Esquif Zephyr) but it was too wide by 4". Suggestion - if the Kayoke had wider capabilities and the jaws were able to accommodate canoe gunnels I think this idea could work for those who paddle solo flatwater and whitewater canoes where you sit in the middle of the boat and don't have a traditional canoe yoke but still want to portage. There are a few removable canoe yokes on the market but nothing as easy to use like the Kayoke.

Sit-on-top and fishing kayaks:
One idea I had was that sit-on-top kayaks are annoying to carry as the don't have a traditional cockpit or handles of any kind. I was thinking the Kayoke could come in handy especially with anglers looking to portage their fishing kayak to their backcountry trout lakes. The Kayoke would have to be modified to accommodate wider kayaks, the rails of the boats and the jaws would have to be taller to accommodate head room.
​

Pros:

• ​Can carry a kayak
• Easy to use once jaws adjusted to your cockpit
• Online videos are good tutorials for set-up and use
• Compact to stow - jaws fold down
• Comes with hex keys (allen keys)
• Adjustable to for many cockpit sizes
• More practical to use on portages than carts or carrying over your shoulder
• Design could be adapted for other watercraft

Cons:

• Doesn't feel as comfortable as a canoe yoke as it doesn't form around shoulders and it is not padded
• Jaws can slip a bit on cockpit wet plastic - add foam to prevent slippage
• Adjustments normally took two tries when trying to fit boat
• Videos and photos of product show older versions or prototypes

Best Uses: Recreational kayaks

The Level Six Venus Longsleeve Rash Top is a practical paddling sun protection garment. I tested this top out over two summers (2017 & 2018) while sea kayaking, whitewater kayaking and canoeing. 

Level Six Venus Longsleeve Rash Top
Sizes: XS to XL
Colours: Black Ripples, Laguna Ripples, White, Dark Purple (2018 colours)
Price: $54.99 CDN or $41.99 USD

Features:

The combination elastane/polymide fabric provides a snug athletic fit over the user's body. The fabric also provides a UPF50+ sun protection rating. The fabric seams are sewn together by flat stitching to protect the user against chafing.

Pros:

Comfort/fit - The snug but athletic fit of this top is one of it's best features. It fits close to the body which works extremely well under a PFD or other drytop layers. It feels comfortable on and the flat seams prevents any chafing. I love wearing it!

UV Protection - One of the best shirts I have ever owned for sun protection. In 2017 I primarily used this shirt on whitewater rivers but on a 2018 trip I used it on Georgian Bay, a large body of open water. I was on the only one with a longsleeve UPF top and the only one that didn't get sunburned. Even in hot weather the shirt doesn't feel hot and I would highly recommmend it for summer paddling of all kinds.

Style- This Level Six top comes in a variety of colour combinations that are both eye catching and coolio. I have a 2017 top, but I love the 2018 colours as well. I have received many compliments and jealous looks from other paddlers!

Cons:

The darker blue areas of my shirt have faded slightly over the past two summers of use. The difference is noticeable to me but isn't to others.  It's just a sign the top has been used - and used a lot! I may need to get another one!

Best Uses: Watersports of any kind!

The Level Six Explorer Bungee Rand Skirt is a neoprene touring skirt made for sea kayaking. I tested this skirt out on multiple day trips and one multi-day camping trip during the summer of 2018.

​Level Six Explorer Bungee Rand Touring Skirt
Tunnel Sizes: XS-XL
Kayak cockpit compatibility: Vary, check this link
Colour: Black
Price: $159.99 CDN or $122.99 USD

Features:

The Explorer features a flexible neoprene deck with a bungee seal that can fit a wide variety of boats. The tunnel features 2mm thick neoprene and comes in 5 different sizes. The skirt has a red nylon pull loop for quick wet exits.

The underside of the skirt is home to two interesting features. One is a removable implosion bar that is used to give your skirt some extra structure and security if a large wave were to crash down on it. Secondly, the underside has a urethane grippy layer beside the bungee enabling the skirt to seal more securing on your kayak rim.
​
Pros:

Seal- The Explorer Touring Skirt has one of the best seals that I have ever tried. It kept me dry in 3 foot swells when waves crashed down over the cockpit. I have rolled the boat (for fun) a few times and the seal works perfectly. I enjoy how I don't get wet out kayaking flatwater from drips from the paddle as well. The quality of this product is outstanding.

Tunnel sizing-  I opted for a larger-than-normal tunnel size  (large) so that I would be comfortable on long days touring as opposed to my whitewater kayaking tunnel size of medium.  It also gives you the opportunity to vent more if in hot weather. My husband also upsized and we both thought it was a great idea, especially for those with a whitewater kayaking background who are unlikely to flip in waves. 

Neoprene- I have used coated nylon and Gore-tex touring skirts in the past but prefer the security of the neoprene skirt. Why? I intend on kayaking into late fall and again early spring in cooler water temperatures and I know this product will enable me to keep warm, dry, and secure in those settings. Neoprene also sheds water better than nylon/Gore-tex in big waves and keeps you drier. The implosion bar and neoprene fabric combined gives the skirt even more structure, preventing water from collapsing your skirt. 

Overall impression- A high end touring skirt for those intending on visiting bodies of water with swells or surf. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for skirt they never want to have to upgrade.

Cons:

The biggest con for this skirt is the 'break-in' phase. Both my husband and I own Wilderness Systems Tempest kayaks (165 and 170) and we both had difficulty initially getting the skirt on the boat. The first time we tried it in our garage it was a two person job and we probably could have used a third set of hands it was so difficult. We weren't sure at all it would even fit. We did eventually get it on and let it stretch out on the boat for awhile. 

​The first few times I used it to actually paddle I needed a second person to help me get it on. Once on and eventually wet, it was easier for me to do myself. I haven't asked for help for months now! If you can get through the initial phases without being frustrated, the spray skirt is fantastic!

Best Uses: Sea Kayaking in areas with swells or surf. Early or late season kayaking anywhere.

After searching through multiple brands to find women-specific dry pants, I finally found the pants I had been looking for: Kokatat Hydrus 3L Tempest Women's Dry Pants with Socks. How do these pants perform? I tested them out on a 15 day northern river trip this summer.

Kokatat Hydrus 3L Tempest Women's Dry Pants With Socks
Price: $189 USD
Sizes: S-L
Colour: Gray
Weight: 450g (small)

Features:
Hydrus 3L is Kokatat's waterproof-breathable fabric.  The fabric extends past the legs and adds socks as one factory seam sealed unit . The neoprene waistband is tall and has velcro to adjust fit.
 
Pros: The best part about these pants is that they are women's specific. There aren't too many companies that make a women's specific drypant, but Kokatat does. Smaller sizes and women's specific features are why these pants stand out.

The drypant material allows for freedom of movement. When wearing some other brand's pants, I feel like I'm wearing heavy snowpants. In contrast, the Kokatat pants are unrestricting, lightweight and flexible.

The attached socks are an amazing addition which makes cold water wading a breeze. In and out of a boat multiple times a day, my socks were 90% dry. The fabric dries quite quickly after use. I wouldn't even take an hour before the pants were bone dry.

The durability of these pants is good. They stand up to tough abuse and are worthy of their price tag. I would definitely give them a thumbs up.

Cons: The fabric used in these pants is SLIPPERY. So much so that while kneeling canoeing, I would slide off my seat forward and have to re-position myself multiple times an hour. Thigh straps will also slide down these pants fairly easily which is annoying.

They only come in one colour- a mocha beige. It would be cool to have more colour choices.

Best Uses: Whitewater canoeing, kayaking and rafting. Flyfishing as well.